Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government is planning to include 200 ml of fortified milk in the midday meals scheme for school children, Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Minister Gokula Nanda Mallik informed on Tuesday.
This came a day after President Droupadi Murmu virtually lunched the Gift milk initiative of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) for the Odisha State Cooperative Milk Producers’ Federation (OMFED) in Rairangpur, which aims to address malnutrition among schoolchildren by providing 200 ml of flavoured milk fortified with Vitamin A & D every day.
The Gift Milk programme was launched in 19 schools in Rairangpur, the home town of the President, on the occasion.
Mallik said that 1,184 students in 29 schools of 200 villages in Rairangpur will benefit from the NDDB’s Gift Milk programme. “They will be provided 200 ml of flavoured milk fortified with Vitamin A & D every day. It is being implemented on a pilot basis in Mayurbhanj and will be later extended to other parts of the state,” he said.
Under the midday meal scheme, cooked meals are currently provided to 44.5 lakh students in more than 51,500 primary and upper primary schools in the state.
He further stated that Rs 38 crore will be spent under Rashtriya Gokul Mission launched by NDDB in Mayurbhanj, where 3,000 high-quality dairy cows will be distributed across 26 blocks in the district. Of these, 1,000 beneficiaries in Rairangpur sub-division will get one cow each. The cows sourced from Gujarat will be distributed to dairy farmers in Mayurbhanj to improve genetic quality of local cattle breeds and ensure higher quality milk production and productivity.
He added the measures are a part of Modi’s vision of Viksit Bharat and Viksit Odisha to make dairy farmers self-sufficient and ensure financial stability for the community.
During the launch programme on Monday, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi mentioned about Kamadhenu Yojana, a five-year initiative with a budget of Rs 1,423.47 crore, aimed at developing cattle wealth in the state. The initiative provides 70 per cent financial assistance to farmers for rearing indigenous cattle breeds like Gir and Sahiwal, which are known for their high milk production.
The scheme also includes insurance coverage for cattle and buffaloes, offering financial security to farmers. The state government bears 85 per cent of the insurance premium, making it more accessible to farmers, he added.
